NBN switched on in Geraldton

The National Broadband Network has been activated in the mid west WA city of Geraldton.

The Federal Minister for Regional Communications Sharon Bird switched on the network's fibre services this morning.

Geraldton is the first location in regional WA to have access to the super-fast network.

Ms Bird says about 500 properties are now able to connect to the NBN and thousands more should have access by next month.

"There's 500 going live in this first stage, now that of course means there's 500 households who are going to be very very happy after that happens," she said.

"That then rolls on across the next couple years to all the other areas that need to be added on to that."

The City of Greater Geraldton spokesman Robert Smallwood says about 600 premises are now able to connect to the NBN and thousands more should have access by next month.

"The network will create a level playing field for small businesses in regional areas," he said.

"You can do things in regional areas with the NBN that previously you could only do in the big cities, so it does give us a great opportunity to compete on a national level with the big cities," he said.

The NBN will also be switched on in areas of Perth and Mandurah for the first time today.